An Unexpected Turn of Events
by silvermoon8705
Summary: Lancelot comes back. And with that, the return of someone Merlin can confide in honestly. But soon, it is not just Lancelot who knows about his magic. Arthur and Merlin have encounters with people from another world.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** An Unexpected Turn of Events  
**Author:** silvermoon8705  
**Rating: **PG  
**Characters/Pairings: **Merlin/Arthur, Lancelot/Gwen, mention of Arthur/Gwen  
**Spoilers: **Takes place after 2x10 "Sweet Dreams" before 2x11, so Morgana still resides at Camelot.  
**Disclaimer: **The show Merlin is property of the BBC.  
**Summary: **Lancelot comes back. And with that, the return of someone Merlin can confide in honestly.

But soon, it is not just Lancelot who knows about his magic…

* * *

Merlin sighed in the middle of picking medicinal herbs for Gaius. Idly, he whispered a few words and some of the fallen leaves swept off the ground and started to dance in the air. Smiling softly, Merlin, again, couldn't help but yearn for the day when he didn't have to resort to these stolen moments of practicing his magic – as if it were evil. That hurt more than anything because magic was deeply a part of him. The insinuation that this made him evil by extension was difficult to bear… So, he tried not to let the thought consume him.

He found that he was performing magic in a more careless manner than ever before – part wishing someone – _Arthur_ – would find out already and the tension of waiting, of wondering what he might think would be over with – and the other part was getting a delight from seeing how much magic he could get away with without drawing suspicion. This was a dangerous game; Merlin knew (the encounter with the Witchfinder proved that fact to him). It was likely to get him killed, but he was impatient… and it was getting harder by the day to deny that part of himself – his magic – to keep who he truly was under lock and key and to hide his true nature from Arthur.

And even King Uther had begun to trust him even more than before after the incident with Morgause. Merlin remembered when the king looked to him, clearly frustrated at Arthur's uncharacteristic behavior whilst under his enchantment, and asked Merlin what had happened to Arthur.

Uther had addressed him… showing that he respected Merlin, now, at least on some level. Merlin hadn't anticipated that to happen – that the king who banned magic would come to respect _him._ _Merlin. _Still, that would mean little when the fact of Merlin's magic was revealed -- no matter the respect gained, the unraveling of his secret would surely mean his execution.

The king's respect for him made it all the worse, Merlin feared. When the truth _did _come to light, King Uther would certainly not go easy on him at such a heavy betrayal.

Merlin shook his head, trying to dispel the unpleasant thoughts. He continued to enchant the leaves to dance in a slow, leisurely pace.

He had just begun to make the leaves form the shape of a bird when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

"I see you're still up to your old tricks, Merlin."

Merlin turned around quickly -- recognizing that voice and those familiar words anywhere. The leaves fell back to the ground, the spell ended abruptly due to Merlin's shock.

"_Lancelot?"_ He exclaimed in surprise. "Why are you here now?"

Lancelot smiled somberly at him. "I wanted to see Gwen… I thought it was wrong of me to leave her without saying goodbye. It was--"

"A bit cowardly, I'd say," Merlin contributed. He gave him a small smile.

Lancelot reluctantly smiled back at him, nodding briefly to acknowledge his error. "Yes, right. You're right. You understand that I didn't want to get in the way. Camelot is not my home, but it is Gwen's and I did not wish to stir conflict between her and Arthur. I could leave easily, but for her, it would be much harder."

Merlin nodded, trying to appear understanding. "I'm not too sure if it's a good time to see Gwen. There was, very recently, a situation and well, Gwen has been a bit down as of late."

"What happened?" Lancelot questioned.

Merlin sat down before a tree, leaning back against the rough bark. Lancelot followed suit as he sat beside him. He looked to Merlin expectantly.

And so Merlin explained about the four kings coming to visit Camelot for peace negotiations and how one king secretly wanted war – using magic in the form of enchantment to incite war. He told him about Arthur being enchanted to fall in love with Lady Vivian at the expense of his relationship – albeit secret yet still undeniable – with Gwen. Gwen had been heartbroken – not knowing that Arthur's feelings for Vivian weren't genuine. That it was all an enchantment.

He explained to Lancelot how it all ended – that to break the enchantment, Arthur needed to be kissed by his true love. When Merlin had found this out, at the same time, Arthur was losing the tourney against Vivian's father who was rightly furious at seeing the prince and his daughter in a compromising position.

It was fortunate that he knew who could break the enchantment – the person who Arthur saw as his true love…

Merlin could see the resigned look in Lancelot's eyes. He knew how much this was hurting the former knight of Camelot.

"And Gwen was that person?" Lancelot asked, his eyes showing he knew the answer.

Merlin nodded. "The enchantment was broken as a result. Gwen told me that she talked to Arthur after the tourney. She told him that they couldn't go on like this. She said that she couldn't be his queen – it wasn't right to entertain the idea now," Merlin told him.

Then, he took a small twig from the ground and made circular motions in the air with the twig. A thin line of bright light appeared as he continued the motion until a circle outlined by shining light was hanging in the air in front of him – held up by his magic.

Lancelot observed the magic being conjured before his eyes for a moment before he turned to Merlin and said, "Is it wise to do that, Merlin? You have my word, of course, that I will not tell a soul, but we're still out in the open. Anyone could come into the forest and see you."

Merlin shrugged. "You shouldn't be so worried. Do you want to know something, Lancelot?"

"What?"

"I fell in love with a girl. This was right before the Lady Vivian incident. Her name was Freya. Would you like to know what I promised her?"

Lancelot did not like the rather wild look in Merlin's eyes. He somewhat doubted that Merlin was thinking with his head at the moment.

"I promised to look after her. To escape with her. For us to find a place where we would be safe, free from the fear of persecution."

"She was like you--?"

Merlin nodded, confirming Lancelot's words. "She was one of the Druids. She was magic – like me."

Merlin looked away from him then.

"Merlin? What happened to her?"

"She's gone now," he told him quietly, still not looking at Lancelot.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Lancelot said, not sure what else to say, what he was supposed to do.

Merlin seemed to shake himself out of the moment. Then he finally looked at Lancelot, smiling at the man.

"It's nice to see you here, Lancelot. I feel like I can be honest with you without settling for half-truths."

"Arthur doesn't know about your magic, does he?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, he doesn't," He said and let out a sigh. He looked out ahead of him, somewhat comforted by the forest's tranquility surrounding him. "It's only you and Gaius. Sometimes it could be so…_frustrating."_

Lancelot reached out his hand to squeeze the other man's shoulder to express his sympathy.

Merlin turned back to him. "I didn't mean to put all this on you. You wish to see Gwen, don't you?"

The other man stared at him in surprise. "But _you said_ that it wasn't a good time! And then, your story about true love's kiss-"

Merlin waved his hand dismissively. "I've thought about it and you're right. It would be good to clear the air with her. You did leave her rather suddenly. That wasn't fair to Gwen."

Lancelot opened his mouth, ready to answer him, but Merlin held up his hand to stop his words. Merlin continued on, "I also said that Gwen broke it off with Arthur for now. Gwen telling him that 'She couldn't be his queen – it wasn't right to entertain the idea now' – remember that bit?"

"Yes – for now – there's still a chance. I don't want to cause trouble, Merlin."

Merlin stood up. He looked down at Lancelot as he spoke. "Gwen may be Arthur's true love. But, maybe…the feeling might not be mutual."

"Merlin…"

"I could test it, you know. I could try at least. Maybe you're her--"

Lancelot stood up then abruptly. He covered Merlin's mouth with his hand. "All right! You've made your point. I came here to talk to Gwen and it would be wrong to be deterred now."

Merlin grinned at him.

And so the two of them set off toward Gwen's house.

* * *

"Oh my goodness! Lancelot?" Gwen exclaimed, her hand over her heart at seeing him once again after months.

"Hello, Gwen," Lancelot said, smiling softly. Merlin stood just behind him, feeling quite awkward at being witness to their reunion. They didn't need him.

She returned the smile somewhat uncertainly. Then noticing Merlin was at the door as well, Gwen waved her hand to usher the two men both into her home. "Come in, come in. It's good to see you, Merlin. Did Lancelot find you first?" She inquired, giving Merlin a friendly smile.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, I was collecting herbs for Gaius," he explained, showing her the basket he was carrying. "And Lancelot happened to come by. He said that he wished to apologize to you, if you would give him a chance to," He told her, hopefully helping Lancelot in the process. Maybe they did need him, to be a moderator of sorts. Gwen wasn't an aggressive person, but Merlin wasn't all together too sure that she wouldn't feel compelled to slap Lancelot or something similar as retribution for leaving her high and dry after the Hengist incident.

Gwen sighed, biting her lip. Lancelot smiled uneasily at her. "I am truly sorry, Gwen. I did not want to come between what you had with Prince Arthur. I thought it best to leave. I am sorry if my leaving upset you," he said to her sincerely, sounding quite contrite.

She still looked at him, uncertain what to say, and instead, Gwen directed them to sit at the table.

They did so, and Gwen went about preparing all of them something to drink.

Once they were all sitting at the table, cups full of drink in hand, with Gwen and Merlin seated across from Lancelot, Gwen spoke.

Choosing her words carefully, she said, "You should have allowed me the chance to give my say, Lancelot. What you did was not fair to me. I know you think that you meant well, but I care for you as you do me. I would have hoped you would treat me with the courtesy of not leaving so abruptly. You should have had the courage to ask me directly what I wanted, what I thought."

"Yes, I know. I acted deplorably. I understand if you will need some more time to come to forgive me," Lancelot said earnestly.

Merlin contributed, reminding Gwen gently, "You told me how the situation is between you and Arthur. You said how much it upsets you that you can't be with him as you wish to. That you are not sure that you could wait for him."

Gwen nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right," she admitted, albeit hesitantly. She turned back to face Lancelot. "I am truly glad to see you again, Lancelot. I may be displeased at your previous actions, but I have missed you. Have you…missed me?" She asked softly, wondering.

Lancelot smiled genuinely at her. He reached out to grasp her hand with his. "Yes, I have. I have thought of you often. I almost feared what you would do to me when I would return. I thank you for not slapping me."

Gwen giggled, shaking her head. She squeezed his hand, and she smiled widely as she looked up at him.

After a moment,

"Well, I should be going. I have to get the herbs to Gaius and I'm sure Arthur, the prat he is, will have a whole list of chores for me to go through," Merlin said, standing up. He took the basket in hand as well.

"Oh yes, I should see to the Lady Morgana. I do hope that you're planning to stay for a while, Lancelot. I would like that. You may stay at my home, of course," she offered graciously.

"I would not wish to impose," Lancelot said, ever the noble knight.

"Nonsense, I insist," Gwen told him firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"I'll come by after supper this evening. Maybe then we could have a proper talk?" Merlin suggested.

"Yes, I'd like that," Gwen agreed.

Lancelot nodded. "I would like that too… and Merlin, do you plan to tell Arthur of my return?" He asked him.

Merlin didn't quite know himself. He was sure Arthur would want to know of Lancelot being in Camelot. Then again, if people saw Lancelot about the city, then word would surely reach the castle and, most certainly, Arthur in good time. It would be best if Merlin told him straightaway, before talk circulated about the ex-knight staying at Gwen's home and the wild speculations as to what that meant. Yes, the prince would definitely not want to be subjected to any wild speculations. If Arthur still held strong feelings for Gwen, then no…it would certainly not improve his mood.

"Yes, it would be better if he heard it from me. Is that all right?" Merlin wanted to make sure.

"We can't hide it from him. It would not be fair," Gwen remarked. "I only hope that Arthur does not take it too badly."

"Oh don't worry. Arthur likes Lancelot – I'm sure that his feelings for you, Gwen, will not make Arthur suddenly hate him," Merlin told her reassuringly.

"For our sakes, I hope you are right, Merlin," Lancelot noted, clapping Merlin on the shoulder.

Merlin nodded. "I hope so too," He agreed with him. "But I have a feeling all will go well. I'll just have to word it the right way, you understand."

He grinned at Gwen and Lancelot and shortly thereafter, Merlin departed from her home.

* * *

"Arthur, I just wanted to let you know that Lancelot's in Camelot. He is staying at Gwen's. She…er, she insisted," Merlin told him as the prince ate his lunch in his chambers.

Arthur looked up, and Merlin could not help his concern for the prince upon seeing the tinge of fear and worry in the blond's blue eyes. He did notice how the prince had appeared rather subdued since this morning when Merlin had arrived with breakfast. Arthur had muttered something about a bad dream when Merlin had inquired about what was wrong. After that, the prince refused to say anymore on the matter. He did not even divulge what the dream was about to Merlin, so unhappily, Merlin decided to simply let the matter drop. If Arthur wished to be stubborn about it, then he would just leave him to it.

"That's nice. Guinevere should be happy to see him, I'm sure," he said in a considerably disinterested tone.

Merlin looked at him uncertainly, not sure how to proceed in the face of Arthur's strange, somewhat listless behavior.

"Arthur, I know you have feelings for Gwen. I know you do not wish me to speak of them, but I thought with Lancelot back…you would not like it. He cares for Gwen as well, as you know," Merlin told him.

"Lancelot is a good man. And Gwen was right – even if we do care for each other, it would not be a wise idea to pursue a relationship with her when I could not give all of myself to her. She has a better chance with Lancelot -- if he does not choose to leave her again. He has a tendency for abrupt exits, don't you think, Merlin?" Arthur asked him as he cut into his sausage and then placed the cut meat into his mouth, chewing on it.

"Yes, I agree with you there, but he plans on staying this time. For a few days, maybe. He hasn't said, but he has made clear that he wants to reconcile with Gwen," Merlin informed him. Arthur drank out of his goblet. Merlin bit his lip, still confused at the blond's calm behavior. "Are you okay with this, Arthur? You've been…_off_…today. Are you all right?"

Arthur nodded. "I'm just fine, Merlin, but I appreciate your concern," he said easily.

Then,

"Come here, Merlin," he said, beckoning him to come closer.

Merlin did so, reaching Arthur, and now standing beside him.

Arthur was still seated and he tugged on Merlin's sleeve. "Could you…kneel, Merlin?" He asked him, looking fleetingly uncertain before the look passed and his blue eyes were left unreadable.

"Why do you want me to kneel?" Merlin asked.

"Just do it, will you?" Arthur told him in mild exasperation.

With a sigh, Merlin did so – kneeling before Arthur who turned toward him. He placed his hand atop Merlin's head, his sword-callused hand tangling the dark locks of his hair.

"Arthur?" Merlin inquired, puzzled. Why was Arthur doing this? He sincerely hoped that the prince was not under_ another_ enchantment.

Arthur only shushed him in response and moved his hand down to Merlin's cheek. And then, if Merlin was not mistaken, Arthur was _caressing _his cheek. His thumb gently moved across the soft skin as if Merlin's pale skin were something delicate. Merlin's eyes fluttered closed at the intimate touch.

"Merlin…" Arthur murmured.

He opened his eyes, looking at him questioningly. "Yes?"

"Please be careful. I know it's hard for you to do, but just please…for me, _be_ _careful,_" Arthur nearly pleaded with him.

"Why are you saying this, Arthur? I don't understand," Merlin wondered.

The prince gave a long sigh and then he stood up, pushing his chair away. He grasped Merlin by the shoulder and pulled him up to stand as well.

The last thing Merlin was expecting was for Arthur to kiss him on the lips, his hands holding his face. Merlin could feel the roughness of the prince's hands as they touched his skin.

Arthur pulled away after a moment and he peered at Merlin's slightly dazed face. Merlin didn't know what to do, say or even feel… he cared for Arthur, true, he may even admit to feeling a deep affection for the man, his prince, but to kiss him…Merlin was at a loss for words. Still, despite the uncertainty, he could not deny that the kiss was good, _very_ good in fact, and he would not say no to more…

"I know about what you can do, Merlin. I've seen your eyes flash gold," He informed him, his blue eyes piercing Merlin's.

Merlin was rightly startled. Arthur found out? On his own? He wondered why he hadn't been executed yet. This was too good to be true – that Arthur had uncovered the truth of his magic and had not made a move to have Merlin put to death. But then, the prince did just kiss him…you don't kiss the person you wish to condemn. That made no sense.

"How long have you known? Why am I not on the way to be executed right now?" Merlin wondered, honestly puzzled.

Arthur sighed and he gripped Merlin's shoulders, his hold strong and sure. "I have been putting the pieces together for months now. I wasn't sure what to think or what to make of it. I decided, in the end, to pretend it wasn't true. This thing you have – we shall not speak of it, all right? It is best kept secret. The problem is that…I thought simply not allowing the fact of it sink in, for it to hit would be enough. No matter what you may think of me, Merlin, I can not let you die. I can't – _I won't_ allow that to happen," He said fiercely, one hand gripping Merlin's shoulder so tightly that Merlin flinched at the sudden pain. Seeing this, Arthur loosened his grip in apology, and then he continued on, "But then, last night…I had a dream that I hoped to the gods will never come true."

"If I could ask, what did you dream about?" Merlin asked him gently.

Arthur sighed and he reached up to place his hand over Merlin's cheek, his blue eyes intense and full of deep concern for Merlin.

Arthur was worried about _him._

"I dreamed that I accidentally killed you when I tried to prevent you from doing magic in front of my father. You were doing it in my defense, and the idiot you are, you had little concern about yourself…knowing what you were risking for my sake…that you were risking _your_ very life. It was a horrible dream, Merlin. I'm telling you again, please be careful. Do not reveal your magic in such a way because of your misguided idea that _my_ life is more important than _yours_," Arthur demanded of him, reprimanding him for something Merlin hadn't even done. Might never even do…

After all, Morgana was the one who had true dreams. Surely Arthur simply had a bad dream brought on by his worries for Merlin's safety?

But…Arthur had been right about one thing.

"Arthur, I understand you're worried about me. But you can't ask that of me, you can't tell me to not value your life more than mine. All I have ever done is protect you – that is my duty as yours is one day to become King of Camelot, to be a good and fair ruler for the kingdom. I am just a servant. My life is--"

Merlin could not finish what he wanted to say before Arthur interrupted him, "No, Merlin. Don't you dare say that. _You are valuable to me._ You are important to me. You have become my closest friend and I can not lose you."

"But I thought you cared about Gwen…Arthur, you just kissed me and I don't know how to take that. Are you just letting your fears for my life cloud your true feelings?" Merlin asked him, wanting to make sure Arthur was thinking this through properly.

"Can a person not love two people just as equally?" Arthur asked him back. "And anyway, Gwen has Lancelot. And you, _you _who have always stood by me for almost two years now – despite your deficiencies at your job, I have grown to like you in such a way that it surprises me sometimes. I can't bear to see you die. You…you feel the same way for me, don't you?" The prince asked him, sounding surprisingly uncertain. While Arthur seemed confident of his own feelings for Merlin, he wasn't sure of Merlin's feelings for him.

Merlin gave him a small smile and he wrenched himself from Arthur's hold on his shoulders. He stepped away from the blond.

"I liked the kiss, a lot in fact, but I can't do this now, Arthur. I care for you deeply, I can admit that, but I fell in love with a girl not long ago. She died…and I'm still trying to move on from that. I, I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said apologetically.

"Who was the girl?" Arthur asked him lightly, though Merlin could not miss the stricken look on the prince's face.

Merlin shrugged. "She was just a girl. If it's all right, I don't want to talk about it now," He asked of Arthur.

The blond did not appear content with that answer. "Merlin, you said you _fell in love_ with this girl. She can't have been _just a girl_," He countered.

"I just can't talk about this right now. I need to think things over after what you have told me. Maybe one day I will tell you about the girl, but that day is not today," Merlin said to him, finality in his tone.

Arthur relented then. "Okay, I can accept that," He agreed.

Merlin smiled gratefully at him and, unable to resist, he went to kiss Arthur softly on the lips. The prince deepened the kiss, and Merlin allowed him to – the temptation to keep going was too great to deny.


	2. Unexpected Visitors

**Title:** An Unexpected Turn of Events (2/2)  
**Author:** silvermoon8705  
**Rating:** PG  
**Characters/Pairings:** Merlin/Arthur (pre-slash), Lancelot/Gwen, Morgana  
**Spoilers:** Takes place after 2x10 "Sweet Dreams." Morgana still lives in Camelot as a result. I started writing this before 2x11, so this fic will not take into account anything after 2x10 (except for some names).  
**Disclaimer:** The show Merlin is property of the BBC. Legend of the Seeker is property of ABC Studios.  
**Summary:** Lancelot comes back. And with that, the return of someone Merlin can confide in honestly. But soon, it is not just Lancelot who knows about his magic.

Arthur and Merlin have encounters with people from another world and, due to an unanticipated course of events, they both will get a firsthand look at what the magic-dominated kingdom of Avalon is like.

* * *

  
Merlin was walking down the corridor that afternoon when he was startled to find Morgana – or someone who looked like her – walking toward him, and tapping something at her wrist.

He was sure that he had never seen Morgana wearing such a deep purple cloak before. And anyway, Merlin knew for a fact that she was currently out with Gwen at the market, and possibly Lancelot was with them as well. So it simply made no sense that Morgana would be inside the castle at this point in time.

"Er, excuse me…are you Morgana?" Merlin asked when she reached him.

She really did have a striking resemblance to Morgana, Merlin had to admit.

The woman stared at him. "You can see me?" She uttered in honest surprise. She peered down at the jeweled bracelet at her wrist. "My invisibility shield is malfunctioning. How frustrating…Arthur? Are you there?" She spoke to the bracelet as if expecting someone to answer her.

Merlin stared at her in bemusement. This was getting to be really strange. Who was this person and where did she come from? Apparently she knew someone named Arthur, which led Merlin to think of all kinds of possibilities. Whatever the jeweled bracelet was, it was a device that Merlin was not aware of – it was clearly advanced technology, beyond his time, or something powered by magic.

"Yes, it's me, Morgana. The invisibility has been deactivated and I've been sighted by someone. Could you fix it from here?" She asked, still disregarding Merlin's presence.

Morgana as she called herself let out a noise of frustration. Merlin could not hear who she was talking to, so it was admittedly a bit odd to hear one half of the conversation. "Oh, sure, of course. I'll just do it the normal way. Brilliant idea there, _Sir Arthur._ You and I both know that's a power drain and that's why we have these devices. And, not to mention, I have already been sighted!" She shot back at the person, Sir Arthur…a knight then, Merlin deduced easily.

She sighed then. "This _is_ important. The Leprechaun stole my engagement ring and I want it back!"

A moment later, she exclaimed, "Are you bloody kidding me? The Leprechaun is skipping across worlds? Where the hell is he now?"

"Fine then. I have King Balinor's authorization, so I'm set on that front. I sincerely hope I don't have to go world-hopping."

"Oh how _charming_ of you, Arthur," She said, sarcasm evident in her words. "Where's Merlin anyway? Still with Lancelot on that mission?"

"Feeling left out, aren't you?"

"You can't fool me," she told him, smirking in clear amusement.

"Yes, I'm sure you're very busy. I'll let you go for now," she said.

It was then that she looked up at Merlin. "Oh hello, I apologize for ignoring you. I just wasn't expecting to be seen. I'll be getting out of your way soon," She assured him, then she looked like she just realized something and she – _finally_ – introduced herself, "I'm Princess Morgana of Fay, though with my betrothal, I will be the future Queen of Avalon. Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you…"

Merlin rubbed his brow and took a deep breath. Let's see: what had happened today…Lancelot had returned, Arthur had revealed that he knew about Merlin's magic, decided to _kiss_ him without warning and essentially declared that he loved him in more than a friendly way. And now, _now _there was someone who looked like Morgana who called herself Morgana, but was very obviously not the Morgana that Merlin knew (Morgana was the King's Ward, most definitely not a Princess of some kingdom he never heard of). With the mention of worlds when she had been conversing with the unseen Sir Arthur, Merlin guessed that this person was a _long_ way from home.

"I'm just really confused right now…if you could explain to me where exactly you're from. And possibly, could we discuss this in a more private place," Merlin insisted, waving his hand at the open corridor they were standing in. Luckily, only a few servants had passed by them, giving the two curious looks, but moving on past them without a word.

Princess Morgana shrugged and then nodded in agreement. "Very well. I could do that. I'm from another world if you are wondering. There are alternate versions of the people you know well in my world – such as me, for example. That is why I used the invisibility shield to prevent unnecessary shock. I understand that this is confusing for you," She said contritely, smiling at him.

Merlin sighed, shaking his head. He led her to a secluded alcove and once they were both seated, he said, trying to work out the odd situation in his head. "So you're from a different world where you say there are alternate versions of people like the Morgana I know? And somehow you can travel to other worlds if you managed to come here. Why are you here in the first place? I heard you say something about a Leprechaun stealing something from you – a ring?" He asked her.

"Yes, my engagement ring. It's precious to me, and the mischievous creature, the Leprechaun, took it from me. And now he's not even in this world anymore. Do you know how _many_ worlds there are? Too many to count! I dread the task, but we have ways of tracking such thieves. I should find the deviant in time," she finished almost viciously, a determined glint in her green eyes.

"Er, right…" Merlin said, unsure what to make of this Leprechaun creature who stole rings. He decided that maybe it would be best if he didn't dwell on the matter. "I heard you speaking and you mentioned me and Lancelot to someone called Sir Arthur. Are they all alternate versions of the people I know? If you look like the Morgana of my world, then the Merlin of your world--" He surmised.

She nodded. "Yes, my Merlin looks just like you, but he holds a different position in society. That's the key difference. The Arthur of my world is a Knight of Avalon along with Lancelot too."

"What am I then?"

"Why you're the Prince of Avalon, of course," Morgana told him matter of factly, as if he should have figured that out. "I'm betrothed to him."

Merlin then wondered if he had suffered a head injury shortly before seeing this Morgana. Discovering that Arthur and Lancelot were Knights in this other world was one thing – that made sense – but to find out that he himself was a Prince was absolutely…ridiculous. It was just beyond comprehension.

Morgana looked at him thoughtfully, her hands clasped in her lap. "Judging by your look of surprise and your clothing, I expect that you are far from a prince in this world. Not everything is the same – that is why it is an _alternate_ world after all."

"Right, of course. I just never imagined myself as a prince. Arthur is the prince here – of Camelot. I'm his manservant," he explained to her.

"Oh well, how lovely. That means you two spend a lot of time together? My Merlin and Arthur are quite close to each other, so I hope it is the same in your world."

Merlin thought that she seemed sincere about supporting her Merlin's close friendship with the other Arthur despite her betrothal to Prince Merlin.

And considering that _his_ Arthur had kissed him earlier and declared his feelings for him, Merlin would have to say that yes, they were close.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, I could say that Arthur and I are good friends despite our differences in station."

Morgana smiled at him. "It's heartwarming to know that some things never change no matter what world it is," she remarked.

"Yes, I suppose so," he said softly, remembering how Arthur looked at him. It had almost been tender, affectionate. Certainly not the image of an arrogant, overconfident prat of a prince that he made himself out to be, well, until Merlin knocked some sense into his thick head.

"Well, I must be going," Morgana announced. "Though I also think it would be best if you knew this: Avalon and the rest of the world I come from is one dominated by magic. The people who possess magic outnumber those who do not. In most kingdoms including Avalon, royalty and nobility possess magic. All Knights of Avalon, as they come from nobility, have magic. As you have the same gift in this world, it should be no surprise that you possess magic in my world," she explained to him. Then Morgana gave him an uncertain look and inquired, "You do have magic, don't you? I hope I am not mistaken."

Merlin gave a small nod, rubbing the back of his head. "Wait…all Knights of Avalon…? Does that mean Arthur and Lancelot…?" He trailed off.

He had never quite thought of what it would be like if Arthur possessed magic like him…to have that common ground. Merlin had to admit that he rather liked the idea of being on equal footing with Arthur – for the two of them to understand each other fully when it came to magic. Despite the prince accepting the fact of Merlin's magic earlier that day, Merlin felt that it wasn't quite the same as truly comprehending magic. And what better way to accomplish that than for Arthur to have magic himself?

And yet, he knew it was a wild hope. For all Merlin could do to change his world for the better, to protect Arthur and, in effect, the future of Camelot as well; he knew that he could not alter what made his Arthur, Arthur. The prince may have been borne of magic, but he would always be the type to wield a sword, never magic. And Merlin truly did appreciate that Arthur had not condemned him for being magic. For now, Merlin simply would have to settle for that reassuring knowledge.

"Of course," Morgana confirmed. "They could not be Knights of Avalon if they did not. Avalon is a magic-dominated kingdom and as such, the knights of the realm need to have magic and be well-versed in using their gift. That is the only way that they could effectively defend Avalon."

Then she stood up, looking ready to leave. "Well, I do think I have taken up enough of your time. And the sooner I get my ring back, the better I'll rest at night. It was a pleasure meeting you, Merlin. I still find it fascinating to meet people from other worlds," she said, smiling graciously at him.

Merlin returned the smile, still somewhat unnerved by this alternate version of Morgana. He stood up, and then he asked her, wondering. "Is there a chance that I could visit your world some time? Just to see it? I'd really like to," He told her.

Morgana shook her head, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but authorization is required from the king, in this case the King of Avalon, to allow you to come to my world. And since you're an outsider, not from my world, it makes obtaining authorization a little more difficult."

At Merlin's disappointed look, Morgana hurried to reassure him, "But that does not mean it is impossible. If Prince Merlin were here, he could expedite the process for you. Unfortunately, I do not have that kind of authority no matter if I am betrothed to him. I could talk to the king on your behalf. I hope that will help?" She asked him.

Merlin sighed and he nodded, accepting her offer to help. "Thank you. I appreciate it. It was nice meeting you, though now knowing that there are other worlds in existence is a bit much."

"I understand," she said, giving him a small smile.

Morgana kissed him on the cheek once before she said her final farewell and disappeared right before him.

Merlin left the alcove and he headed off to complete the rest of his chores. Though, honestly, he felt he could use some quality time to sort out all of this extraordinary information he had just learned.

And earlier, he had thought that Arthur knowing about his magic was the highlight of his day – _how wrong he was.__  
_

* * *

Merlin spent the evening with Gwen and Lancelot at Gwen's home as he had suggested earlier that day. He was still reeling from the events of his day. He felt a calm settle over him now knowing that Arthur had accepted his magic and still loved him despite it. And then, his very world had suddenly grown almost impossibly bigger with Princess Morgana's arrival, with her talk of Avalon and the existence of other worlds as well as alternate versions of the people he considered dear friends in her world. He wondered if he would ever visit her world. Merlin could only hope for now.

The three of them were sitting at the table, talking about their day though Lancelot had the more interesting tales what with his time traveling here and there. During a lull in the conversation, Merlin spoke up.

After a meaningful look at Lancelot, Merlin turned to Gwen and he said to her, "Gwen, you were my first true friend when I arrived at Camelot. I would think it wrong to keep an important part of myself from you."

Gwen looked at him, a questioning look in her warm, brown eyes. "What ever is it, Merlin?"

"Merlin, is this really the right time?" Lancelot cut in.

Merlin looked to Lancelot. "Arthur told me he knows and he has accepted it. Why should I keep it from Gwen?"

"Honestly, what is it, Merlin? And what do you know about it, Lancelot?" She wanted to know, a tinge of impatience apparent in her voice.

Gwen looked at the both of them, wondering what her friends were talking about.

Merlin looked Gwen directly in the eye and said resolutely, "Gwen, I have magic. I'm a sorcerer. But I have only used my magic to protect Arthur, for the sake of Camelot. I hope you will come to accept who I am – no matter the magic ban here. I feel bad for not telling you before, and I am truly sorry for not doing so. You have been a good friend to me. I don't know what I would have done without your kindness and friendship in those early days when I was new to Camelot."

Gwen sighed. Lancelot looked somewhat uneasy.

"Oh, Merlin. Oh dear. This is a lot to take in, but suddenly a lot of things make sense now. The prince has managed to survive death attempts when he shouldn't have…and the one constant was your presence, your willingness to protect him. There are not many people like you in the world, Merlin. Arthur is grateful to have you to watch over him," she said, smiling at him.

"I try my best," Merlin remarked. Then he addressed Lancelot, "See, I knew Gwen would take it all right. She has always been a good friend." He grinned at him.

"I'll give you that, Merlin," Lancelot admitted.

Gwen shook her head, and smiling, she said, "I have to confess I took pity on you, just a little bit, at the start."

Merlin nearly pouted at her. She laughed. "Oh, don't do that!" Gwen exclaimed.

Lancelot gave a hearty laugh, and soon, Merlin was joining in the laughter as well.

Once they had stopped laughing, needing a chance to breathe, Gwen requested if Merlin could show her some magic.

Merlin acquiesced easily. He was quite happy to show a magic trick or two to his close friends.

* * *

At the gates of Avalon, the place where citizens of Avalon had to go through to travel to other worlds as well as return to Avalon, Guinevere prepared herself for an obvious troublemaker. The moment that the man entered the room, she could tell that he was not a law-abiding citizen. A sad but true fact was that too many people came through here to make a run from it, escape punishment by fleeing to, undoubtedly, cause trouble in another world – a world where they were unknown entities, perfect for being discreet.

She looked over at Freya who gave a slight nod, showing her readiness for the likely task. Guinevere sighed as she approached the man.

"What is your name? And I need your authorization as well, sir," she told him as politely as she could.

The man's gaze was shifty as he answered her, "My name is Alvarr. I misplaced my authorization… I don't have it with me."

"You need your authorization. I'm sorry, but we do not make exceptions. You will not go through without it," Guinevere explained in a firm tone, waving her hand at the white wall just behind her. An opening would appear for the person permitted to go through to then access the world they wished to.

"But I could try," Alvarr declared defiantly. Then his eyes flashed a fierce gold. He reached out his hand and a strong wind formed in front of him.

Guinevere only crossed her arms, looking impatient, as the wind that should have knocked her down did not.

The man stared at her in great shock. She gave him a stern look and she closed the distance between them. "You clearly have not come here before. Let me explain this to you," Guinevere told him slowly, tersely. She poked him in the chest. "I'm the most dangerous person you will ever meet."

"What?" He uttered, confused. Alvarr made another effort, this time forming a fireball in his hand. The fireball fell apart when it touched the woman, not even burning a little.

Guinevere just gave him a look. "I'm Pristinely Ungifted. Magic can't affect me and I can't use magic. So don't think your magic tricks will scare me. Owain, Pellinor – restrain this man!" She demanded as the two guards appeared.

Owain and Pellinor grabbed a hold of him, the man vainly struggling, and Guinevere motioned Freya to them.

"Go ahead, Freya," she directed her.

Freya's eyes turned a pure white as she looked directly into the man's dark eyes.

"He has a Seeing crystal on him that he stole. He was looking to escape with it," she informed them.

"Bloody Listeners," Alvarr muttered, annoyed.

Guinevere pretended to look impressed. "Oh, you _do_ know something. The fact that you thought you would get away with stealing is quite amusing. You understand that any thoughts you have, Freya will know. You can't hide anything from her. Now, surrender the crystal and maybe you will be treated with some leniency," she told him.

The two guards tightened their grip on Alvarr, and with a grunt, he gave up the crystal.

* * *

One week later:

Lancelot had told Merlin and Gwen that he felt that he was wearing out his welcome. He had announced that in a few days' time, he would leave. Gwen reluctantly accepted the decision, knowing she couldn't keep him here when there was no place for him now at Camelot. That was until the laws restricting who could be a Knight could be relaxed. Until such a time, he would resume traveling and helping others along the way. Merlin knew that Arthur would surely welcome Lancelot back when he was King. That upon relaxing the laws, Arthur would allow him to be the Knight he deserved to be. The prince had been a great advocate of Lancelot's fighting prowess after all. Arthur would not deny him the chance.

Merlin contemplated Lancelot's future as he cleaned Arthur's chambers after breakfast, the prince out training his knights. As he was changing the sheets, Merlin was taken by surprise when a big, black _something_ flew directly at him and collided with his face. He fell to the ground in his shock, and then, if he was seeing things correctly, Merlin could have sworn that the black, shapeless thing was seeping into his skin as if the thing had a mind of its own.

And it wanted to get inside of Merlin. Merlin didn't know what was going on, but he felt fear sink in when he sensed his magic being leeched. He knew the feel of his magic well, and something was most certainly wrong. Desperately, Merlin tried to reach out to his magic, to better understand what was going on, but the black thing had now been completely absorbed within him…and when he tried to use his magic, a sharp, vicious pain plagued him.

Merlin cried out and he could hear his magic screaming, trying vainly to hide from the black thing. His magic was in danger of being lost forever… "No, no, no," Merlin muttered desperately. It hurt. So much _hurt._

He barely heard the Lady Morgana enter the room and then rush toward him, asking him what was wrong.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Guinevere swore. A blasted contaminant had gotten past them. Those were the most infuriating entities to deal with because they weren't human in the first place, and they were tricky to handle as well. It wasn't often that a contaminant managed to get past them, but this particular one had been moving so fast. It had taken them by surprise and had went through the wall leading to the world entrances before they could take preventative measures.

"What are we going to do?" Freya wondered.

She was sitting on the table while Guinevere paced back and forth to calm herself down. "We don't know which world the contaminant has escaped to. It could be anywhere…but we need to do something. I know that contaminant."

Freya inclined her head. She had recognized the contaminant as well. The contaminant was native to Avalon. It was a constant struggle to keep the contaminant's population down to low levels. "It will latch on to the first magic user it deems powerful enough. At least it doesn't infect others while it's inside the person."

Guinevere bit her lip, looking uncertain. "Yes, until it finishes draining the person of all their magic. Then it'll move on to its next meal."

Freya nodded in agreement. "Except, wait…there should be residue from the contaminant on the  
wall, correct?" She ventured.

Guinevere's eyes lit up. "Oh, you're right! I should have thought of that. My mind's not thinking as it should today. It's a good thing I have you," she praised her.

Freya smiled pleasantly at her. "You're welcome. So with the residue, we can track the thing. Call on a Knight of Avalon."

Guinevere nodded. "I think Sir Arthur would be available. He has nothing pressing to do."

"Oh, are Prince Merlin and Sir Lancelot still on that mission?" Freya inquired.

"Yes," the other woman confirmed.

Both women looked at each other and neither of them could resist giggling.

* * *

"Morgana, Guinevere, you could leave. You two look like you need some rest," Arthur told them.

"You need to rest as well, Arthur," Morgana reprimanded him.

Gwen sighed as she reluctantly let go of Merlin's hand, squeezing it gently before she stood up from her place at his bedside.

She and Morgana had been keeping vigil over Merlin who was resting in Arthur's bed. Merlin was reduced to whispering, and he felt tired most of the time – sleeping the previous day away after Morgana had found him collapsed in Arthur's chambers. Merlin had told them that he was in pain and that the day before; there was an inexplicable black thing that had attacked him and entered him.

With Arthur and Gwen now knowing about his magic, Merlin could not keep it from Morgana as well. Upon him telling her so, Morgana had looked tempted to hit him, but in his condition, she refrained. She left it to giving him a well-deserved glare. Merlin couldn't blame her – after all, he had kept the secret of her magic without the courtesy of confiding in her that he possessed magic himself.

With that taken care of, Merlin told all three of them that whatever the black thing was – it was draining his magic and he feared that his magic would soon leave him completely. That the black thing would consume all of it.

The best that Gaius could do was to give him medicine for the pain. Despite the decreasing pain, Merlin could not help but feel panicked as he sensed his magic leaving him. Whenever he tried to use his magic now, his spells came out weak -- he couldn't keep his magic concentrated on the task. And only a sharp pain that left him gasping for breath remained.

Arthur had allowed him to stay in his bed as he tried to get through his peculiar ailment. The evening before, the prince had even climbed into bed and sidled up beside Merlin. Merlin had offered that he leave to go back to his own room, to get someone to assist him to get there; but Arthur had insisted that he stay with him. That it was all right with him that Merlin stay in the prince's bed. And anyway, he would only exacerbate the pain he was in if he tried walking, even with assistance, to his room. Merlin could not help but agree to the arrangement – his small, hard bed seemed unpleasant at the moment when compared to Arthur, big, soft bed that lessened the pain by virtue of how comfortable it was. And Merlin felt safe with Arthur there by him, even as his magic, frighteningly, was taken away from him. No one seemed to know what to do about it.

The support of Arthur, Gwen, Morgana and Lancelot – who visited a few times when he could – gave Merlin some strength, cheering him to know that these were his friends, and they knew and understood all of him…and they still stood by his side.

* * *

"Guinevere, Freya," Sir Arthur said, smiling at them.

He climbed off his winged white steed and his blue eyes flashed gold for a moment. The knight revealed two red roses in his hand.

He gave one to each woman. The both of them blushed, accepting the roses.

"Thank you for the rose, Sir Arthur, but you still must present your authorization," Guinevere said, ever set on proper protocol.

He looked mock-affronted. "Oh of course. I would never dream of getting past without it." He winked at her.

Freya rolled her eyes as she looked on.

His eyes flashed gold again and a piece of parchment appeared in his hands. The parchment glowed golden, but when Guinevere took it, the glow faded.

"There you go, from King Balinor himself," he said dutifully.

Guinevere peered at the paper.

She handed the authorization back to him. "All right. Everything is in order. You know your mission – to retrieve the errant contaminant? And if it is in a person, then bring the infected back to Avalon for proper treatment. We have residue from it that you could use to track the thing."

Sir Arthur nodded. "Of course. I've gone after contaminants before. Can I have the tracker then?" He asked.

Freya went to him and she handed him the contaminant tracker she had been working on.

"Thank you," he said, taking it off her hands. The tracker was a small thing, in the shape of a circle, and it would glow red once the contaminant – even if it were inside a person – was found. Sir Arthur packed the tracker inside a pouch that was latched on to his winged horse.

He then climbed on to his trusted steed and directed the horse toward the white wall.

"Even with the tracker, though, we don't know which world the thing fled to. You can't just hold the tracker in front of each world's opening to determine the contaminant's location. With the number of worlds out there, that could take forever!" Guinevere warned him.

Sir Arthur turned back to her, looking thoughtful. "I'm going to trust my Knight's intuition. There was a world that Princess Morgana had been sighted in unintentionally when she was looking for that Leprechaun. Luckily, she did find the creature. I think I'll start with that world."

"Why? Simply because the princess had passed through there?" Guinevere asked, curious but also having doubts about the knight's thought process. "That doesn't mean the contaminant went to that world."

The knight shrugged. "I'd like to trust my intuition. It has never failed me. That world could be a gathering place for runaway deviants. The Leprechaun had been there. And then there was that assassin Myror who fled to the same world. Sir Gareth and Sir Caradoc took care of Myror, who turned out to be the most pathetic assassin they've seen. Caradoc told me the assassin was targeting this prince whose kingdom was in a swamp, _a swamp_! And that prince was rubbish too. You know what his greatest wish was?"

"What?" Guinevere asked.

"Gareth said that he told them that he wanted to be a singer! A bloody _singer_! A prince, imagine. I don't know what good it did saving the prince's life, but such is a knight's noble duty. If that world doesn't work out, I have other methods," He assured the women.

"We should be lucky that we have Prince Merlin," Freya said, almost dreamily.

"Honestly, any prince is better than that one Myror was after," the knight retorted with a shake of his head.

"Oh, Sir Arthur, Freya read Prince Merlin's mind a few times. If anyone, she should know how he's truly like," Guinevere put in.

"I didn't say that he was bad. He's quite good, actually. Very good," Sir Arthur said, trailing off. Then he shook himself. "Well, I better go. Some time manipulation may be necessary to catch the contaminant before it does much damage."

"Very well. Good luck, Sir Arthur," Guinevere said to him, giving him a small smile. Freya wished him luck as well.

The knight nodded at them and then a wide section of the wall opened for him. He beckoned his winged horse forward and the wall closed behind the knight and his steed.

* * *

Merlin was gone._ Merlin was gone._ No matter how many times Arthur repeated that to himself, it didn't become any less true.

After the second night of Merlin's ailment, Arthur woke up the next morning to find his bed empty. On the chance that Merlin had left the room, the prince had searched all over the castle for him. In his pain-filled state, Merlin couldn't have gone far. He had asked Gaius if he had seen Merlin because, surely, Merlin would try to go there first. He would have let at least Gaius, who was like a father to him, know where he would be going. Arthur could not see Merlin letting Gaius worry about where he was. He would tell him.

But even Gaius could not tell Arthur anything. He had not seen Merlin since the previous evening. Like Arthur, the court physician hadn't the faintest idea where Merlin was.

After talking to Gwen, Morgana and Lancelot, all of whom had not seen Merlin as well, Arthur grimly deduced that Merlin had been kidnapped. His manservant was many things, but he certainly wasn't callous enough to leave without letting those who cared about him know where he was going.

Then later that day when Arthur was eating his lunch in his chambers, a scarlet and gold phoenix suddenly appeared before the prince, a rolled up parchment attached at the bird's talons.

Arthur stared at the creature for a long moment, wondering what the hell it was doing here. The phoenix, for its part, released the parchment from its grasp on to the table. Then the bird perched on the table and began preening, _preening_ itself.

Seriously.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Arthur took the rolled up parchment and opened it. It was a letter from Merlin, if the shoddy yet familiar penmanship was any indicator. In the letter, Merlin assured Arthur that he was safe and that he sincerely apologized for leaving so suddenly without telling the prince where he was going. Time was of the essence, and if he wanted to save his magic from being lost forever due to the black thing, then he had to get properly treated. And the only place that offered the cure was in the kingdom of Avalon, in a completely different world all together.

Arthur did not know what to make of the mention of a different world and this kingdom of Avalon. He had certainly never heard of such a kingdom. Had Merlin gone mad or was actually telling him the truth?

Merlin had also informed in the letter that a Knight of Avalon had taken him to escort him back to Avalon to be cured. And he fervently assured Arthur that he would be fine, was feeling better already actually, and that he should not worry. That he would return to Camelot once the physician at Avalon deemed him healthy enough to go back home.

Arthur let out a sigh of relief as he read that part of the letter. At least Merlin was all right now and he wasn't in danger of losing his magic, a part of himself really, forever. But the letter did not indicate exactly when Merlin would return. How long would it take for Merlin to be deemed ready to return to Camelot, to where he belonged?

No matter his concerns, Arthur made sure to tell the others: Gaius, Gwen, Morgana and Lancelot that Merlin was fine. True, simply going by a letter seemed dubious, but the writing was Merlin's, and he could almost hear Merlin saying the words written on the sheet. Arthur could not help but the trust the letter's contents. After all, he did not have much else to go on.

The auspicious scarlet gold phoenix flew out the window when the sun was beginning to set. Arthur saw the flying creature disappear before it flew very far away. Phoenixes were creatures of magic, weren't they? The prince had vaguely recalled a mention of such a creature. He had never fathomed that he would chance to see one. He had to admit that they were quite beautiful birds.

* * *

The next day, Arthur was out hunting with a few of his knights. He went down a forest path, intent on seeking a hare on his own, when he stopped short and stared at the sight in the clearing ahead of him.

Three men, each on winged horses, were in the clearing. The men looked like Lancelot, Merlin and himself; which was admittedly quite bizarre -- particularly seeing a likeness of himself right before him. And the man who looked like Merlin was wearing rich clothing that Arthur knew that his Merlin could not possibly afford, not on what the prince paid him.

"Ah, you are Prince Arthur, aren't you?" The one who looked like Merlin said amicably.

"Yes, I am he. Who are you?" Arthur asked, trying to be courteous and not be rude about it even though seeing these people with likenesses to those he knew was setting him rather on edge.

"I am Prince Merlin of Avalon. I trust you received the letter from your friend? The one delivered by the phoenix?" He asked him, petting his dark steed as he spoke.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, I did. Is that where he is? Merlin? In Avalon?"

"Yes, I know this must be quite alarming for you – to learn that there are many other worlds out there, but it is true. Your friend, Merlin, met the Princess Morgana from my world a week or so before he fell prey to that unpleasant contaminant. She told him about our world, about Avalon, so he was already aware of it when Sir Arthur came to help him," Prince Merlin informed him, nodding at the man to his right.

"So you're a knight in this other world?" Arthur asked.

Sir Arthur nodded. "Yes, a Knight of Avalon."

"And I am Sir Lancelot, a Knight of Avalon as well," Said the man who resembled Lancelot and who was apparently named Lancelot too.

Arthur wondered if all Knights of Avalon had white horses as both the two knights here did. One difference he did see was that Sir Lancelot's winged steed had silver-tipped wings as if the horse's wings had been dipped in liquid silver.

He asked them, to make sure he had understood everything correctly. "Avalon is in an alternate world where, apparently, identical twins of people I know exist in such a world, is that how it works? Except circumstances are different than in my world – my Merlin is not a prince for one. I can not _even_ imagine that possibility. Or maybe I _am _having a strange dream," Arthur finished with a mutter.

Prince Merlin laughed good-naturedly. "Oh no, you're not having a dream, I assure you of that. But yes, your conclusion is correct. There are similarities such as physical resemblances, but there are differences as well. The world we come from is mostly populated by magic users – that is a key difference. But there is a reason why we are visiting you now. We would like to extend you an invitation. I'm sure you wish to see your friend in Avalon? Otherwise you may have to wait a while longer for his return to Camelot," he said.

"We will escort you to Avalon," Sir Arthur told him.

"People will notice if I am gone. I can't simply _leave,"_ Arthur argued, though he did want to see Merlin sooner rather than later. Still, he knew what a problem it would cause if he did not inform anyone of his leaving (and anyway, what reason was he supposed to give for his departure? No one would believe him). And he had no idea how long it took to travel to this other world. The logistics of that were beyond him.

Prince Merlin waved his hand, unconcerned. "Do not worry about that. We have ways of slowing down time if we must, even though it is quite taxing on our magic. No one will realize your absence."

"_Our_?" Arthur inquired. Did he mean the two knights as well? This other Arthur possessed magic? That, admittedly, surprised him.

"Yes, Arthur and Lancelot both have magic as all Knights of Avalon do," Prince Merlin said briskly, smiling at the blond's shocked expression.

Sir Arthur and Sir Lancelot exchanged bemused glances with each other.

"That's not something I was expecting," Arthur voiced.

"I can see that," Prince Merlin remarked. "Now you need a winged steed, I believe."

"I've only ridden horses. If those horses are meant to fly, then, I've never flown a winged horse. I've never seen one either until now."

"Come on, Arthur. If you're anything like me, you should be a fast learner," Sir Arthur put in, grinning at him.

Just then, a woman who looked like Morgana – she had to be Princess Morgana – came riding into the clearing on her own winged steed. The horse was dark like Prince Merlin, but the wings were tipped with snow white feathers.

Prince Merlin smiled at the princess. "My lady, Prince Arthur here will be borrowing your horse. We would like to teach him how to ride on a winged steed. You are all right riding with me, I hope?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course. I do not mind at all. I hope he can handle her though," she mused, looking uncertainly at Arthur.

Sir Arthur and Sir Lancelot started laughing. Prince Merlin looked like he wished to laugh, but was making an admirable effort to not do so. Morgana's lips quirked into a wide, amused smile.

Arthur looked quite disgruntled. Prince Merlin steered his horse toward the woman and soon, he became engaged in a conversation with Princess Morgana. Meanwhile, the knights conversed with Arthur.

"Princess Morgana is betrothed to Prince Merlin, you understand," Sir Lancelot informed him as they watched the prince and princess talking quietly with one another, absorbed in whatever they were discussing. "I hate to say this, but he acts a bit like a lovestruck fool around her. Like he's enchanted, but trust me, we have checked thrice over – no enchantments on him."

Sir Arthur rolled his eyes. "He's just being courteous. But maybe he does overdo it sometimes," he conceded.

Lancelot gave him a disbelieving look, but Sir Arthur pointedly chose to ignore him.

Prince Arthur was never gladder for the differences between his world and theirs. The idea that Merlin in this other world was with Morgana almost pained him. Especially after he kissed _his world's _Merlin not long ago and admitted his feelings for him. At least there was the small comfort in knowing that the girl his Merlin had fallen in love with had died, so the girl couldn't have been the Morgana he knew.

Arthur felt a greater yearning to see his Merlin once again, so he could not resist agreeing to Prince Merlin's offer to go to Avalon.

His head was still trying to wrap around the new, seemingly impossible information he had been told. The only thing Arthur was certain of was his desire to see his Merlin alive and well.

And who knew, maybe this unexpected turn of events – to see another world and this intriguing kingdom of Avalon – would play to his favor. He certainly couldn't turn down an opportunity to see a new place, _a different world entirely_. How many chances does one get to see the impossible?

* * *

Sequel to follow (Outsiders in Avalon).


End file.
